Cost of Living Comparison Between Solothurn and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Solothurn and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,830 in Solothurn versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,520 in Solothurn versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,211 in Solothurn versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Solothurn is roughly 22% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Solothurn 112% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.23 CHF 25.30

$17.66 €15.46

76.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 CHF 116

$69.7 €61.0

106.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.30 CHF 17.25

$14.16 €12.40

50.42%

Cappuccino

$6.53 CHF 5.29

$2.80 €2.45

133.21%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CHF 4.57

$2.81 €2.46

100.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 CHF 4.37

$2.06 €1.81

161.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 CHF 5.57

$4.60 €4.03

49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.34 CHF 5.14

$4.69 €4.11

35.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$1.23 €1.08

80.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$2.03 €1.78

60.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$1.98 €1.73

64.65%

Eggs

$7.20 CHF 5.84

$3.49 €3.05

106.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.06 CHF 24.35

$18.33 €16.05

63.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$31.44 CHF 25.47

$9.83 €8.61

219.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.66 CHF 32.12

$19.13 €16.75

107.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 CHF 3.37

$2.73 €2.39

52.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.34

$2.38 €2.09

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CHF 2.42

$2.08 €1.82

43.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CHF 3.41

$2.75 €2.41

53.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 CHF 1.56

$1.96 €1.72

-1.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 CHF 1.63

$1.79 €1.57

12.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CHF 2.06

$1.48 €1.29

71.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 CHF 0.86

$0.91 €0.80

16.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.01 CHF 8.92

$7.13 €6.25

54.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.73 CHF 7.88

$7.88 €6.90

23.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 CHF 2.11

$1.38 €1.21

89.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 CHF 1.94

$2.39 €2.09

0.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.66 CHF 2.97

$3.01 €2.64

21.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.0 CHF 78.6

$29.35 €25.71

230.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.59 CHF 6.15

$4.36 €3.82

74.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.18 CHF 3.39

$2.13 €1.86

96.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.1 CHF 60.8

$29.60 €25.93

153.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 CHF 1.89

$1.82 €1.60

28.02%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.2K CHF 30.2K

$37.9K €33.2K

-1.74%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.8K CHF 31.5K

$32.4K €28.4K

19.96%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$96.9 CHF 78.5

$189 €166

-48.76%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$30.30 CHF 24.54

$22.29 €19.52

35.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CHF 47.86

$37.16 €32.55

59.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 CHF 59.2

$58.0 €50.8

25.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.77 CHF 20.06

$20.66 €18.09

19.89%

Cinema Ticket

$25.00 CHF 20.25

$10.87 €9.52

129.99%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,422 CHF 2,772

$706 €618

384.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K CHF 15.8K

$14.9K €13.0K

30.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 113

$89.4 €78.3

56.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.89 CHF 35.55

$36.60 €32.06

19.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 CHF 80.4

$104 €91.1

-4.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$187 CHF 151

$119 €105

56.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 CHF 1,035

$1,579 €1,383

-19.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 CHF 877

$1,238 €1,084

-12.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 CHF 1,506

$2,712 €2,375

-31.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,753 CHF 1,420

$2,039 €1,786

-14.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,830 CHF 7,962

$7,527 €6,592

30.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,937 CHF 3,999

$5,239 €4,588

-5.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,802 CHF 5,510

$2,364 €2,070

187.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

3.39

-38.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Solothurn: July 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,278 in Solothurn and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solothurn pays 188% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $144 in Solothurn vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $604 vs $320 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Solothurn vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Solothurn and Barcelona differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,830 vs $2,320 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 188% higher in Solothurn, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,278 in Solothurn versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,422 in Solothurn versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Solothurn. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,830 in Solothurn, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Solothurn. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Solothurn and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Solothurn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.